The College provides an opportunity for students to earn a reasonable amount of credit toward the associate degree through methods other than formal classroom instruction.
While non-traditional credit applies toward degrees granted by the College, it should not be assumed that such credit will automatically be accepted by other institutions. Students are advised to consult an advisor to obtain information regarding policies at other institutions. Credit awarded through non-traditional means shall not be included in the 25 percent of total credit hours that must be completed at the college.
The types of non-traditional credit and procedures are listed below:
A. Course Credit by Departmental Challenge Examination
Students may be awarded credit for demonstrating competency required of course objectives. Competency may be evaluated by a department examination and/or skill validation. The guidelines and procedures for obtaining credit by departmental examination are:
- A student may not challenge a lower-level course in a sequence in which he/she has passed a higher level course in the sequence.
- A student cannot challenge a course he/she has already completed.
- Prerequisites for a course must be completed before the course may be challenged.
- A course may be challenged only once.
- The student must register and pay for the course he/ she is planning to challenge.
- The student must make arrangements within the first five (5) HOURS of class meeting time (i.e. within first week for a M-F class; within the first two (2) class meetings for M-W or T-TH classes) with the division chairperson to challenge a course.
- The student must attend class until the results of the challenge examination are determined.
- The challenge examination results should be made known to the student within three (3) school days of the administration of the examination (to allow for schedule alteration if desired and possible).
- The challenge examination grade will serve as the course grade. The student may remain in the challenged course for a possible course grade improvement. If this occurs, the instructor will record the higher grade.
- Challenge examinations will be constructed by full-time faculty teaching within the challenged area; securely maintained in the division office; administered by the division office; and graded by the division chairperson or by a designated fulltime faculty teaching in the area challenged. For more information, contact the appropriate divisional chairperson.
B. Specialized Military Training
- The college may award credit for academic and technical courses based on equivalent transcripted military training as shown on an Ace Joint Service Transcript or an official transcript from the Community College of the Air Force.
- Evaluation of military transcripts will be conducted by the college’s registrar in cooperation with the subject matter expert for the credit under consideration.
C. Advanced Placement
Students who have completed college-level courses offered by high schools through the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Advanced Placement Program and who have passed the National Examinations of the CEEB Advanced Placement Program with a score of three (3) or higher will be awarded advanced placement credit based on the list below. Advanced Placement scores must be received for CEEB after the student applies for admission but prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student wants the credit to be applied. It is the student’s responsibility to have the CEEB Board forward reports to the College Office of Admissions.
| AP Examination | Minimum Score | NWSCC Equivalent | Credit Awarded |
| Art History | 3 | ART 203 | 3 |
| Art History | 4 or 5 | ART 203 & ART 204 | 6 |
| Art/Studio (Drawing or Gen Portfolio) | 4 | ART 113, 121, and/or 127 | 6 |
| Biology | 3 | BIO 103 & BIO 104 | 8 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | MTH 125 | 4 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MTH 125 & MTH 126 | 8 |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHM 111 & CHM 112 | 8 |
| Economics: Macro | 4 | ECO 231 | 3 |
| Economics: Micro | 4 | ECO 232 | 3 |
| English Language/Composition | 3 | ENG 101 | 3 |
| English Language/Composition | 4 or 5 | ENG 101 & ENG 102 | 6 |
| English Literature/Composition | 3 | ENG 101 | 3 |
| English Literature/Composition | 4 or 5 | ENG 101 & ENG 102 | 6 |
| Government & Politics: US | 3 | POL 211 | 3 |
| Physics I | 3 | PHY 201 | 4 |
| Physics II | 3 | PHY 202 | 4 |
| Physics B | 3 | PHY 213 & PHY 214 | 8 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | PHY 213 | 4 |
| Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | 3 | PHY 214 | 4 |
| Precalculus | 3 | MTH 115 | 4 |
| Psychology | 3 | PSY 200 | 3 |
| Spanish Language | 3 | SPA 101 | 4 |
| Spanish Literature | 3 | SPA 101 & SPA 102 | 8 |
| Statistics | 3 | MTH 265 | 3 |
| US History | 3 | HIS 201 & HIS 202 | 6 |
| World History | 3 | HIS 121 & HIS 122 | 6 |
D. Credit Through Prior Learning Assessment
Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a means for a student to receive college-level credit for experiential learning that took place in a non-traditional learning environment. Awarding of credit through PLA relies heavily on aligning knowledge and skills gained through experience with learning outcomes found in traditional courses of higher education.
Course credit earned from prior learning shall be noted on the student’s transcript as having been awarded through PLA. In the process of determining if credit can be awarded for prior learning, institutions may charge students only for the cost of the PLA services and not for the amount of credit awarded.
Contact the college's registrar for information on how to request a prior learning assessment.